Joel and Ethan Coen

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Latest news: We realised that the association fitness/snatching in the below article is surely unsuitable, therefore we removed it from the interview below. We truly apologise with all the readers and the people who have been affected and offended.

We could define them Siamese twins, the hand and the mind, the cat and the fox, if only we knew how to tell which one is Joel and which is Ethan. Joel, 53, is the tall one who is usually credited as director, while Ethan, 50, is generally the writer. «Everyone describes us as a two-headed monster, and it’s true that we have a symbiotic relationship, seeing as we write, direct, produce and edit together. Our collaboration goes beyond blood ties». Both are certain that they would inevitably have met, even if they weren’t brothers. Their first film, Blood Simple, was considered the most promising debut in the cinema history, after Citizen Kane by Orson Welles. «We like movies about ordinary, normal people; stories about average Americans who find themselves in absurd situations, and who most of the time degenerate into corruption, greed and murder».

10 quick facts

Warning! As often happens with twins or close brothers, during our interview, most of the time, the Coen, looked at each other before answering, and surprisingly enough, only one of them spoke. And they both agreed.

1. Favorite city: "Naples! We were amazed by the warmth of the people, the life in the streets. It was like going in back in time to The Bicycle Thief and Big Deal on Madonna Street. What a chaos, though! Traffic, people running everywhere… we didn’t know the Italians were so into fitness.

2. Why independent films: "Because we literally didn’t have a cent. We wandered the entire state of Texas, begging for financing from every Coen we could find, continually modifying the formula of the request until the word "independent" hit home. However, to say that the trend of independent films started there is a bit excessive".

3. Curiosity: “How did I meet my wife, actress Frances McDormand? She was Holly Hunter’s roommate, and since Holly wouldn’t go out with me, I asked Frances out of spite. I never would have imagined that we’d not only get married, but she would become the mother of my three children. She’s stubborn, a ball breaker and never stops talking”. Joel

4. Best relationship: "Aside from our families, the best relationships are with the pros we work with, which is important for the esthetic of our films. Cinematographer Roger Deakins, sound mixer Peter Kurland, sound editor Skip Lievsay and the fantastic Mary Zophres, costume designer".

5. Motto: "We never let ourselves be surprised by anyone or anything, because we don’t expect anything from anyone".

6. Favorite food: "This might seem strange for a couple of Jewish guys, but one of the best things in the world is mozzarella, especially burrata. You can find it in the best pizzeria in Naples, Da Michele".

7. Important films: "Raising Arizona, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, Brother Where Art Thou?, No Country for Old Men, True Grit. All thanks to the freedom we have by being independent".

8. Worst nightmare: "I once dreamt that I was on a set in Los Angeles dressed in a sweatsuit, gold chains around my neck, intent on directing the sequel to The Incredible Hulk, with all due respect for the franchise".

9. Favorite western films: "Once Upon a Time in the West, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Greaser’s Palace, Doc, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean".